Related Articles
Sufjan Stevens has revealed that he is relearning how to walk at an acute rehab facility following a recent bout with the autoimmune disorder Guillian-Barre Syndrome.
In a rare message to fans, Stevens explained why he wouldn’t be making any promotional appearances or conducting interviews ahead of the October 6th release of his new album Javelin.
“I am in the hospital,” Stevens wrote. “Last month I woke up one morning and couldn’t walk. My hands, arms and legs were numb and tingling and I had no strength, no feeling, no mobility. My brother drove me to the ER and after a series of tests—MRIs, EMGs, cat scans, X-rays, spinal taps (!), echo-cardiograms, etc.—the neurologists diagnosed me with an auto immune disorder called Guillian-Barre Syndrome.”
Stevens then detailed his “very scary” two-week ordeal in the hospital, where he was administered “immuno-hemoglobin infusions for five days and pray that the disease doesn’t spread to the lungs, heart and brain.” Thankfully, “it worked.” “My doctors did all the things to keep me alive and stabilize my condition,” he added. “I owe them my life.”
Earlier this month, following the hospitalization, Stevens was transferred to an acute rehab facility to begin physical and occupational therapy.
“It’s a slow process, but they say I will ‘recover,’ it just takes a lot of time, patience, and hard work,” Stevens wrote.
“Most people who have GBS learn to walk again on their own within a year, so I am hopeful. I’m only in my second week of rehab but it is going really well and I am working really hard to get back on my feet. I’m committed to getting better, I’m in good spirits, and I’m surrounded by a really great team. I want to be well!”
Stevens also thanked his fans and caregivers — “They are living saints” — and promised to provide health updates before signing off, “Yours truly from a wheelchair.”
